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Base museum to update military history

History changes constantly. Chief Master Sgt. Rick Fanning believes a museum showcasing that history needs to change with it.

Fanning, the new director of the Enlisted Heritage Hall at Gunter Annex on Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, Ala., has been on the job only a few weeks and already is updating several of the exhibits and building others from scratch.

The museum, which was begun in the early 1980s, documents more than 160 years of military history.

The oldest document in the collection is an appointment to noncommissioned officer status dated 1846. In the next wing is the newest medal, the Combat Action Medal, first awarded in June 2007. The museum has two of the first six medals that were awarded on display.

The new medal is in the “Berlin to Baghdad” wing that starts with an exhibit on the Berlin Airlift of World War II. An exhibit on the Korean War that shows the transformation in the Air Force uniform is being finished, and a Vietnam exhibit is in the works. A Cuban Missile Crisis display also is being upgraded as new information and historical pieces become available — like the digitized White House tapes that will be installed soon.

“They don’t really teach this in school anymore,” Bill Chivalette said. He’s the museum curator and grew up during the time of the missile crisis. He also served in the Air Force during the Vietnam War.

But historical exhibits take time, Chivalette and Fanning said. And there’s no rushing accuracy or detail.

“Some exhibits take at least eight years to research,” Chivalette said.

Exhibits such as the one detailing the Khobar Towers bombing has been in various stages of progress for a decade.

The Air Force building in Saudi Arabia was bombed June 25, 1996. Nineteen U.S. service members and one Saudi were killed.

The names of each airman are listed on a marble plaque in the exhibit that was recently sealed to preserve the uniforms on the mannequins and other artifacts.

Across the way is an exhibit honoring Army Sgt. Archibald Mathies, a World War II Medal of Honor recipient. It’s expected to be completed this week.

The ball turret gunner tried to land a badly damaged B-17 during an ill-fated bombing mission over Europe in 1944. Although he was injured and most of the crew had bailed out, he continued to try to land the plane. On his third attempt, the plane crashed and all still aboard it were killed.

The exhibit includes diagrams of the plane and pieces of the damaged aircraft.

Two other additions dealing with the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq recognize airmen killed in combat, such as Senior Airman Jason Cunningham and Tech. Sgt. John Chapman. Both were killed in Afghanistan in March 2002.

The mannequins for the exhibits are custom-made.

“[Chapman’s] wife stood here with tears in her eyes. That’s how life-like he looks. It’s just amazing,” Chivalette said.

A few steps down is an explosive ordnance display. It's not complete, but the display includes a robot that handles explosives and a bomb suit that weighs 75 to 100 pounds.

Chivalette and Fanning are completing paperwork to enter several of the exhibits for awards through an Air Force history program.

Getting there

The Enlisted Heritage Hall at Gunter Annex is open 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Military personnel and retirees can visit during those hours. Non-military visitors should call (334) 416-3202 to arrange access. For more information, go to afehri.maxwell.af.mil.